Last October, the Woodsons pledged $1.15 million to help launch the NC State Employee Dependent’s Tuition Scholarship. Their donation will be combined with other private funds to provide $2,000 annual scholarships to the dependents of NC State employees, starting in fall 2016.

Three members of the university’s Board of Trustees also made a significant philanthropic impact on NC State in the past year. Jim Owens, the board’s current chair, and his wife, Katie, made a $3 million gift that pushed their lifetime giving to NC State past the $5 million mark. Robert “Chip” Andrews and his wife, Lyn, gave $1 million to create the NC State Acceleration Fund, which will foster student startup companies. And Randy Ramsey and his wife, Tiffany, endowed the men’s basketball and equine sports medicine programs at NC State.

Another major gift came from Ross and Michele Annable, whose $5 million donation created a new student scholarship program in the College of Veterinary Medicine. Their donation was matched with funds from the R.B. Terry Charitable Foundation.

It’s not just individuals who see the value of supporting NC State. The Golden LEAF Foundation awarded NC State a $45 million grant this summer to support the Plant Sciences Initiative.

Our growing reputation for creative solutions is the reason alumni and supporters continue to increase their investment in NC State.

The university had another year of dynamic donor giving in 2016-17. Gift receipts rose nearly 7 percent over the previous year, topping $100 million for the fifth year in a row. Gifts and new commitments are up nearly 82 percent since 2010, and the university’s endowment is just shy of $1 billion.